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Figure 2.11
from Irvine at 50: A Tale of Continuity and Change
by University of California, Irvine - School of Social Ecology
Figure 2.11
In Figure 2.12 we compare Irvine to other cities on the dimensions of housing and residential stability. Key findings include:
• Unsurprisingly, Irvine has had explosive housing development over this time period. The percent new housing during the decade in Irvine was 270% higher than an average city in the 1970s, 350% higher in the 1980s, and 200% higher in the 1990s (green line). In more recent decades this has fallen a bit—though this is because there is now so much built housing that newer housing of necessity constitutes a smaller proportion. Even so, in the three most recent decades Irvine had 120%-150% higher proportion of new housing than the average U.S. city.
• The average age of housing has grown over time, as expected (purple line). Although Irvine housing was 260% younger than the average city in 1980, in recent decades it has been only 50-70% younger than the average city.
• After beginning with a larger concentration of apartments in 1970—about 50% more than the average city—by 1980 Irvine had 65% fewer (orange line). However, there has been a steady growth since then and Irvine now has more than 50% more apartments than an average city.
• Although Irvine had a high percentage of vacant housing units in 1970, it has consistently remained at 5-35% fewer vacant units than the average city since then (aqua line).
• The residential stability of Irvine residents has increased over time. Given the large growth in housing, it is unsurprising that the percent same residents in a unit as five years previously (blue line) was extremely low in 1970 (over 600% less than an average city). However, it has steadily increased and is now on par with the average city. And the average length of residence (red line) has consistently risen from 180% less than the average city in 1970 to 25% less than the average city now.
